Woman accused of trying to run down police near U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A woman was arrested near the U.S. Capitol in Washington after she drove erratically, crashed into another vehicle and tried to run over officers on Wednesday, police said.

No one was hurt in the commotion, during which police fired shots.

“Although preliminary, this incident appears criminal in nature with no nexus to terrorism,” Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki said at a news conference.

Malecki said officers tried to stop an erratic driver, who made a U-turn and drove away, nearly hitting officers and striking at least one other vehicle.

Police chased and stopped the car and fired shots as they tried to arrest the suspect, Malecki said. She declined to say why officers opened fire, and said the incident was being investigated.

Police identified the woman as Taleah Everett, 20, who was held on seven counts of assault of a police officer and two counts of destruction of property, among other charges. Everett was in custody on Wednesday evening and could not be reached for comment.

Operations inside the Capitol building appeared normal. Tourists filed through the Capitol Rotunda, and the U.S. Senate opened its session with Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging confirmation for Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.

In 2013, Capitol Police shot and killed the driver of a car carrying a 1-year-old girl after a chase from near the White House to the Capitol.

Reporting by Ian Simpson and Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Andrew Hay